Russian meteor largest in a century — Explosion rivalled nuclear blast, but rock was still too small for advance-warning networks to spot. — A meteor that exploded over Russia this morning was the largest recorded object to strike the Earth in more than a century, scientists say.

Meteor strike injures hundreds in central Russia — The BBC's Daniel Sandford says people described a ball of fire in the sky — A meteor crashing in central Russia's Ural mountains has injured at least 500 people, as the shockwave blew out windows and rocked buildings.

Why President Obama went all-in on Chuck Hagel — President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have fiercely defended the nomination of Chuck Hagel, despite advisers and Hill Democrats who questioned the move and predicted a firestorm, according to Democratic sources.

BREAKING: Vilsack will not seek U.S. Senate seat in 2014 — Tom Vilsack has ruled out running U.S. Senate in 2014, clearing the way for the early Democratic frontrunner, U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, to press forward and raise money for what's expected to be one of the most fiercely competitive races in the country.

Herman Cain Joins Fox News as Contributor — Fox News Channel has hired former Republican presidential candidate and Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain as a contributor. Cain will provide political and business analysis and commentary across FNC's daytime and primetime programming, as well as on Fox Business Network.

Behind closed doors, House GOP tries to find its way — It's simple: House Republicans say that if they spend the next two years like they spent the last two, they'll become irrelevant. — So for the last few days, GOP leaders have met behind closed doors to both craft an agenda that confronts …

At CNBC, a strict guest policy — Pro-tip for financial executives and billionaire investors: If you want to appear on CNBC on Tuesday, do not give an interview to Bloomberg TV on Monday. — CNBC, until recently the only player in the financial television news game, has established a strict …

When Families Fail — Today millions of American children grow up in homes where they don't learn the skills they need to succeed in life. Their vocabularies are tiny. They can't regulate their emotions. When they get to kindergarten they've never been read a book …

Rahm Emanuel May Be Toying With 2016 Presidential Run — Obama's former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel might make a go for 2016, two well-connected Democrats tell Lloyd Grove—as long as Hillary doesn't. And the potty-mouthed Chicago mayor could win. — Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel …

Cuomo Spokeswoman Quits After Four Months — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's new communications director is leaving her post after just four months to reunite with her former boss, Jeffrey Zucker, the new president of CNN Worldwide. — The aide, Allison Gollust, informed Mr. Cuomo of her resignation on Friday …

The Cuccinelli Manifesto — Virginia's attorney general doesn't fit the Republican rebranding. He is ultraconservative and undaunted. — Serious question: When was the last time a politician wrote a policy manifesto right before a campaign, and it didn't do irreparable damage to his internal organs?